Looking Sideways: 10 Things
Here are ten things I thought were worth sharing this week.
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1. Yuval Noah Harari on how AI has ‘hacked the operating system of human civilisation’ is worth a read. Hyperbolic? Sure. But he wrote Sapiens, so I’ll let him off.
2. I’m over in France at our new place, where we’re at the beginning of a long old renovation project. It’s meant long, summery, manual labour-filled days, soundtracked by possibly my favourite radio show ever - the BBC’s peerless Test Match Special. I also enjoyed this in-depth TMS gander at Shane Warne’s ‘Ball of the century’ 30 years later. Does anybody do this stuff better than the BBC? I think not. Listen above.
3. In a typically forward-thinking move, my friends at Finisterre have just launched their new Yulex wetsuit rental programme. It’s a brilliant way of making the material more accessible for people thinking of trying this sustainable alternative to chloroprene rubber (aka neoprene). Find out more here.
4. Brandon Turner’s SMiLE interview is a great show of openness and vulnerability.
5. Over the last few years I’ve had more than one conversation with well-meaning friends asking me to explain ‘why blackface is wrong’. Thank you then, David Olusoga, for forensically explaining the deep-rooted, historical racism at the heart of this toxic practice. Click here.
6. Patrick Radden Keefe for The New Yorker on how dealer Larry Gagosian ‘reshaped the art world?’ I could not be more in.
7. The unfolding story about GB News’ Dan Wootton says a lot about the priorities of the British media. There’s a lot of interesting commentary doing the rounds, including this by Marina Hyde, and this perceptive piece by Alan Rusbridger.
8. Last call for London Calling, the Steve Douglas-helmed celebration of all things British skateboarding. Find out more here.
9. The new Surfers Against Sewage campaign, which saw the charity fill Plymouth’s Jubilee Pool with 8000 plastic bottles to highlight their latest Brand Audit, was brilliantly executed.
10. I’m really surprised at the lack of coverage of Zharnel Hughes breaking the 30 plus-year old British 100 and 200m records in the last month. These are incredible, once-in-a-generation achievements, after all. Watch the 100m race above.
Got a story or link you think might work for my weekly Ten Things, which goes out to thousands of readers each week? Let me know!
TMS is the soundtrack to the summer, I can't get enough of it.
Always here for PRK content.